Improvement in revolving fire-arms



H. A. BRIGGS 8; S. S. HOPKINS. RBVOLVING FIREARM.

No. 41,117'. Patented Jan. 5, 1864.

NrTED STATES AH. A. BRlGGS AND SAML. S. HOPKINS, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGN- ORS TO THEMSE'LVES AND A. CONVERSE, OF SAME PLACE. l

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. &l,ll ll?, dati 'd January 5, 1864.

SAMUEL S. HOPKINS, both of Norwich, in the countyof New London and State ot' Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in ltcvolving Fire-Arms and we do'herehy declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciticalion, in which- Figure l is a side view of a pistol with our improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same in rear of the cylinder, showing the cylinder in position for loading. Fig. Bis a transverse section of the saine in the plane indicated by theline w a.' in Fig. 1. Fig. et is a perspective view of the swinging frame, in which the cylinder axis-pin is supported.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the several gures.

In revolving-cylimler fire-arms which loa at the rear of the cylinder there have b'cen many different constructions of the frame and modes of applying the cylinder to provide for loading; One mode of applying t:the cylinder which admits ot' a very simple construction of the arm is toattach its axispin to a swinging support, which permits the cylinder to swing outward from the other parts of the'arm in a. lateral direction but as the said pin has only been attached at one end to such support the attachment has not been suflicientlyrm or durable. The object of the first part of this invention is to afford a better support for and more durable attachment of a so applied cylinder; and to this-end it consists in the employment within the main frame of the arm of a laterally-swinging frame constructed to support both ends ofl the axis-pin and to t' within recesses in the main frame.

. The second part of the invention consists in a. novel mode of applying a plunger, in combination with a cylinder having such a swinging movement asis above specified, for the purpose ot' expelling the discharged cartridgeshells from and cleaning the chambers, whereby, while remaining attached to the arm, the said plunger is permitted to have thc necessary A is the main frame ot' the arm, ot' a form:

substantially like the frameot many other revolving lire-arms, and made all oil one piece. B is the stationary barrel, screwed into or 'otherwise secured to the t'rame A.

C is the swinging inner frame, which constitutes the principal feature of our invention.A

The side view of this frame presents the form of three sides ct' aparallelogram, the opposite sides or ends having just space enough between them to admit-the cylinder endwise, and being fitted into recesses d e, provided for their reception within the opening of the main frame 4A, and the third side, c, being bored longit udinallyfor ille reception of' a pin,j', which passes through it and through the lon er part otl the front of the mainframe A, and screws into the back Vot thc said frame, the said pin being par allel with the bore of thestationary barrel and near the right-hand side ot' the l'rame A.

D is the cylinder axis-pin, passing through and fitting snugly within a hole in the front end, b, of the swinging frame, and being sc- 'cured tightlyiuto the rear end, a., thereof, and being parallel with the pin f. The cylinder E is tted to. turn freelyon this pin'. The ends a and b of the swinging' frame and the recesses d c in the main frame which receive them are so formed that in e, as the swinging frame swings into -the main frame, it. is stoppedf-in 'such a position that the axis-pin D is directly below thc axis ot the barrel, and that the chambers of the cylinder may by the revolution of the cylinder on the said pin be brought one at a time opposite to and in line with the bore ot' the barrel; and there is provided in the recoil-shield g, which forms part of thc main frame A, a spring-stop, h, which locks the swinging frame in the labove-mentioned position by entering a hole, t', in the rear end ot' the said frame. This stop is Aattached to a short lever, E, which works -ou a'xed fulcrum,j, and which has applied to it a spring, k,whicl1 operates to press the stop h forward, the said lever being so arranged onthe rightrhand side of the trame Athat it can be operated todraw back the stop and unlock the swinging frame by the pressure of the thumb, while the arm is grasped in the usual manner in the right hand. There is another hole, k,'in .the rear end ofthe swinging frame to receive the stop i, andenablethe said stop to lock the frame inthe position shown in Fig.2 and in red outline in Fig. 3, to which it ,is moved outward trom 'the right side oi' the main frame to expose the-open rear ends ot' the chambers for loading and for the expulsion of the exploded cartridgeshells. A tixed stop may also be applied to'preventt'he swinging out ot' the swinging frame and cylinder be) ond tbe last-men tioned position.

The swinging frame, constructed'as above described, having a long bearing on the pin f, which is supported at both ends, is very strongly attached to the main frame, and the axis-pin D, being supported at both ends in the said flame, makes a very steady and firm bearing for the cylinder, whether the swinging frame is iu position for tiring or for loading, and no strain to which the parts are subjectin the operation of the arm will be liable to displace or injure the axis-pin.

F is the plunger for expelling the discharged cartridgeshellsfrom thechambersllot the cylinder,tted to slide freely through a hole in a link, G, which is pivoted by a pin, m, to the front of the fral'ne A, on the rightside of the barrel, in such manner as to be capable of swinging outward laterally from the barrel, but which, when the plunger is not in use, lies.

snugly within a recess, n, provided for its reception in the front of the frame A, the plunger being at that time directly under the barrel, as shown in Fig. 1 and in black outline in Fig. 3, where it is held by two small springbolts titted one into each end, the one,p, entering a hole in a xed stud, q, under the muzzle of Jthe barrel, and the other, r, entering a hole in the front of" the frame. These spring-bolts have their points rounded, so th at they may slip easily into and out ol' their respective holes, above mentioned. When the cylinder is to be reloaded it is lrst brought permitted to be turned on its axis by hand to' present the next chamber in position to receive .the plunger,land by a repetition ot' the above operation the exploded shells are expelled from all the chambers, one after the other, and the cylinder is ready for reloading.

What I claini'as my invention, and desireto secure-by Letters Patent, is

l. The laterally-swinging fratrie haring a bearing on a long pin,f, which extends from the front to the back of the main frame A, and supporting the cylinder axis-pin both in front and in rear of the cylinder and otherwise applied, in combination wit-h the main frame A, substantially as 'and for the purpose herein specified.

2. 'The plunger F, applied in combination with the laterally-swiriging link and with a cylinder which is arranged to swing laterally out of the main frame, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

t H. A. BRIGGS.

SAML. S. HOPKINS. 

